Cash register and the like



Jan. 13, 1942. WGBORG 2,269,702

CASH REGISTER AND THE LIKE Filed June 15, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Karl Mai-+5 vi g g 651 I -94 ATTY.

Jan. 13, 1942.

K, M. VIGBORG 2,269,702

CASH REGISTER AND THE LIKE Filed June 15, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Karl Na H's W9 *5 INVENTOE. Mm.

Jan. 13, 1942. VIGBORG 2,269,702

CASH REGISTER AND THE LIKE Filed June 15, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Km MaHs Vigbors mva NToQ {Q T-ry.

Patented Jan. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASH REGISTER AND THE LIKE Stockholm, Sweden Application June 15, 1939, Serial No. 279,238 In Sweden June 22, 1938 3 Claims.

Previously are known cash registers and the like provided with a number of rotatable indicators, each of which by means of a tubular shaft is rigidly secured to a gear for setting the respective indicator. The construction of such apparatus, however, has been very complicated, since it has been necessary to combine the indicators with very complicated motion transmitting members cooperating with the setting members (setting racks or the like) of the apparatus. In case of manufacturing a cheap cash register the indicators, consequently, have had to be dispensed with. The present invention, however, has solved the constructional problem of providing a cash register with indicators in a simple and reliable way. In the device according to the invention the indicators, which are constantly urged into their zero positions by means of spring action, are capable of being locked in a set position against said spring action by means of a locking device cooperating with the gears of the indicators. When any one of the setting members of the apparatus is moved from its zero position said locking device is adapted to be released and to free the respective gears and corresponding indicators.

The abovementioned device permits a reduction of the number of motion transmitting members and also a simplification of the construction of these members without the reliable operation of the apparatus being therefore jeopardized. A further advantage of the invention is that the machine, owing to the reduction of the number of motion transmitting members, is more easily driven than the previously known machines. This is very important especially in a manually operated machine.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a section on the line 1-1 in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a front view of the machine partly in section, the parts of the totalizer being removed.

Figures 3 and 4 are sections on the lines III-III and IVIV, respectively, in Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V in Figure 4.

In the drawings reference numerals l, 2, 3, 4 and 5 indicate five indicator drums, each, except drum 5, being by means of a tubular shaft 6 6 6 and 6 respectively, rigidly united with a. gear 1 1 1 and 1 The drum 5 and its ear l are'keyed directly to the shaft I0, which car- 55 ries all the members mentioned above and is mounted in the side walls 8, 9 of the machine. In the embodiment shown the setting members of the apparatus consist of segmental gear members I l I'l the number of which corresponds to the number of the indicators and which are pivoted on the main shaft 12 of the machine. Each setting member is provided with a finger grip [3, a cam or guide surface I4 and two series of teeth I5, 16. The teeth 15 of the five segmental racks il -ll are intended to cooperate with five of the totalizer wheels ll, respectively, of the totalizer during the return movement of the setting members to their zero positions, said totalizer wheels being mounted on a shaft carried by two plates l9 rock-able about a shaft 18. The gears 22 on the shaft 2|, on the contrary, are in constant mesh with the teeth 15. Said gears 22 are adapted to be fixed in their positions as determined by the setting members by means of rollers 24 on arms 23, which are pivoted on a shaft 11, said rollers being actuated by springs 25 to enter the tooth spaces of the gears 22. The setting members H l'l accordingly will also be locked in their set positions.

Each indicator drum is united with its respective rotating shaft hub by means of a single arm 25 serving as a spoke. All indicators are constantly urged towards their zero positions by means of a restoring bar 28, which, serving as a pusher, tends to rotate the indicators to the position shown in the drawings. Said bar 28 is carried by two arms 21, 32 pivoted on the shaft [0 and is actuated by a spring 29, one end of which is united with the arm 21 and the other end of which is united with the frame of the machine. The indicators, having reached the zero positions as shown in the drawings, are prevented from further rotation in the direction of the spring force by the arms or spokes 26 striking against a transverse zero stop bar mounted in the frame of the machine and extending parallel to the indicator shaft [0 through all the indicator drums I to 5. The indicators are locked in their zero positions by a pin 3|, which is fixed to an ear 33 extending from the arm 21 and which rests against one end of an arm 36 pivoted to a pin 34 and actuated by a spring 35 (Figure 3). Said arm may be brought out of its locking position by a bar 31, united with the frame plates I9 of the totalizer, said bar receiving a motion of displacement, when the totalizer by means of members described more in detail hereinafter are brought into engagement with the setting members, a pin 38 on the bar 31 thereby rocking the arm 36 against the action of the spring 35.

In order to bring the gears l 7 which are united with the indicators, in driving mesh with the teeth lfi of the setting members there are provided gears or coupling wheels 39, the number of which corresponds to the number of the setting members. Said gears, which are in constant mesh with the teeth E6 of the setting members, are mounted on a shaft 40, which is carried between two two-armed levers 4i pivoted on the main shaft l2 of the machine. The arms 62 of the two-armed lever 44, which are located on about the opposite side of the main shaft l2 relatively to the shaft it, are provided with notches E3 partly surrounding projections 44, which are fixed to the frame plates iii of the totalizer. Consequently, when the totalizer wheels I 'l by the rocking of the plates H] are brought into mesh with the teeth E5 of the setting members, the levers 4| will perform a rocking motion, the coupling wheels 39 then rolling into mesh with the gears 1 7 united with the indicators.

In order to enable the indicators to remain in .the positions given thereto by the returning setting members against the action of the spring 29, there is provided a locking device intended for this purpose. In the illustrated embodiment the same consists of a U-shaped bail i6 pivoted on a stationary shaft 45 between the side walls 8, 9. Said bail has projections 4i 4l which are capable of entering between the teeth of the gears l -i By means of one or more draw springs 38, at one end united with a stationary member @9 serving at the same time as guide for the setting members H, and at the other end united with a bar 50 extending between the legs of the bail 46, the latter is urged to bring its projections il -11 into locking engagement with the gears 1 l Since, however, the gears 7 'l must be freed for rotation during the setting of the indicators, the cam surface [4 of each setting member ll is of such a shape that, when a setting member is moved from its zero position, said cam surface contacts the bar 58 and forces the projections 4'd T of the rail 46 out .of engagement with the gears l -i However, in order that it shall not be necessary to make the cam surfaces M as long as the setting members, the following arrangement is provided: A two-armed lever 52 is pivoted on a pin 5: fixed to the side wall 9. One arm of said lever is provided with a cam surface 53 and the other arm with a cam groove 54. In this groove there enters the end portion of a bar 56 carried by two arms 55 pivoted on the shaft H8. The bar 56 is adapted uponmotion of any one setting member from its zero position, to be taken along by the projection 57 extending from said member. If one setting member performs a movement which is longer than that corresponding to the length of the cam surface M the bar 56, when passing in the cam groove 54, will rock the lever' 52, to bring the cam surface 53 of the said lever into contact with the bar 50 of the rail 46. Thus, the projections ii-4'1 of the bail 45 will be held out of engagement with the gears l-l even after the cam surface M has lost its contact with the bar 50. a

The embodiment of the machine shown in the drawings is intended to be manually drivenby means of the crank 53, to the shaft of which there is secured a gear 59 meshing with a gear 60 secured to the main-shaft -12, Themai-n shaft i2 carried rigidly mounted thereon two cam discs 6| adapted to cooperate with rollers 62 on the arms 55 (Figures 1 and 2), one or two cam discs 63 adapted to cooperate with rollers 64, 65 on arms 66, 6? extending from each of the plates iii of the totalizer and, finally, a disc 68 (Figure 1). To the last-mentioned disc, having a recess 8i, there is fixed a projection 68, which, when the portions assume the positions shown in the drawings, cannot pass an arm H pivoted to a shaft "iii, if an attempt is made to turn the crank 58 clockwise. Two arms 73, united with each other by means of a rail 72, and an arm 14 are united with the arm H or made integral with the same; The arm '54 has an angular projection l5, which on a certain occasion is adapted to strike one arm of a two-armed lever 83 pivoted on the shaft TB and actuated by a spring 82, which is united with the arm '33. When the portions assume the positions shown in the drawings one :or two draw springs l6 united with the arms 73 urge a projection 18 on the arm ll against the pin 69, and one arm 84 of the lever 83 then enters the recess 8i of the disc 68.; Y

The machine operates as follows: 7

By means of the finger grips I?! one or more of the setting members H ii are set to the desired amount. Already upon the motion of the first of these members, the projections il -3'5 are forced out of their locking engagement with the gears 1 -7 owing to cooperation between the cam surface It and the bar 59. If the movement of the setting member is of sumcient length the .cam surface 53 of the lever .52 will, upon the continued motion of the setting member in question, hold the locking rail out of its engagement with the gears 1 -7 This is effected by the projection 51 of the respective setting member, said projection taking along the end portion of the bar 56, which is carried by the arms 55 and enters into the cam groove 54 of the lever 52. Of course also the free ends of the arms 55 are rocked upwardly during such operation.

After the setting members have been given the desired positions the driving members of the machine on the main shaft l2 shall be put into motion. Before this can be done, however, the crank 58 must be somewhat rotated in a counterclockwise direction in order to move the projection 59 on the disc 68 clear of the projection 1.8 of the arm II. This rotation of the crank will be limited by the recess 8| of the disc 68. If,h0wever, the setting members have not been fixed in their right positions, 1. e. *if one or more of the locking rollers 24 for the gears 22, the latter serving the purpose of fixing the setting members, have not entered their respective tooth spaces, the corresponding arms 23 assume thepositions indicated .in dot-dashed lines in Figure '1. In this case a hook-like portion 19 on each arm 23 prevents the rail l2 from performing a downward movement. Thus, the-arms 1 l, 13 and 1-4 remain in this case in their positions shown in the drawings and a clockwise rotation of the crank-is made impossible. i a

After adjusting the position of one or more setting members, however, it is possible by rotating the crank in the manner indicated above to bring the projections 69 and 18 out of contact with each other. The springs 78 will-then move the arm ll into such position that the projection 69 of the disc 68 will be clear of said arm, where: upon the crank.58 can be clockwise rotated. -Simultaneously with the arm H being moved as described above the rail" 12 willberocked downwardly; the portion 15 of the arm 14 thereby striking against the arm 84 of the lever 83. The rail 12 will then assume a position that prevents the arms 23 from performing any rocking motion towardsthe rail, the stop faces 80 of the arms 23 in such case striking against the front edge of the rail 12.- Consequently, no intentional or unintentional shifting of the setting members is now possible, irrespective of the setting members having left their inoperative positions or not.

When the crank is rotated in the driving direction the rollers 64, 65 guided by the cam disc 63 will first impart to the frame plates l9 of the totalizer such a rocking movement as to cause the totalizer wheels I! to mesh with the teeth I of the .setting members. The bar 31 further receives a movement of displacement during which the pin 38 of the bar actuates the arm 36, moving the same, against the action of the spring 35, clear of the pin 3| of the ear 33. The coupling wheels 39 are about simultaneously rolled into mesh with the gears l l since the plates l9, when turning on the shaft [8, also rock the arms 4|. Upon further rotation of the crank the cam discs 6! will finally actuate the rollers 62 of the arms 55, the arms being thereby forced to perform a downward rocking movement. During this movement the bar 56 takes along all those setting members which have left their inoperative positions. This is effected by said bar striking the projection 51 of the respective member. Immediately before this the arm 84 leaves the recess 8| of the disc 68 and now rests against the periphery of the disc. During the rocking movement thus performed by the arm 84 the same has, resting against the angular portion 15, taken along also the arm 14, the rail 12 thereby performing an upward movement. The rail 12 now assumes its earlier position. Consequently, the setting members are able to move towards inoperative position but not in the opposite direction. During the returning of the setting members to their zero positions, the totalizer wheels 11 of the totalizer are rotated and the amount of transaction is entered. Via the coupling wheels 39 the gears l -T corresponding to the set setting members are also rotated, said gears in turn setting, against the action of the spring-actuated pusher bar 28, their respective indicators into positions corresponding to the amount of transaction. About simultaneously with the setting members having reached their inoperative positions the cam discs 63 have returned the plates I9 to their initial positions, i. e. the totalizer wheels l! have moved out of mesh with the teeth l5 of the setting members. Furthermore, the coupling wheels 39 have rolledout of mesh with the gears l 'l and the projections 41 -41 of the locking bail 46 have been enabled to enter into engagement with said gears, the indicators, in spite of the pusher 28 urging the indicators to their zero positions, thereby remaining in their set positions. The arm 36 and the bar 31, respectively, have, finally, resumed their initial positions. When, now, one of the setting members is moved from its inoperative position, the projections 41 -41 of the bail 46 will, in the manner described above, move out of engagement with the gears 1 l The pusher 28 is thereby released and under the action of the spring 23 it will, when returning to the initial position, take along all set indicators, which are thus brought to assume their zero positions. At the returning of the pusher to its initial position the pin 3| of" the ear 33 will rock the arm 38 sidewards against the action of the spring 35. Since, however, the arm, immediately after the pin has passed the same, resumes its initial position the arm in question and the pusher 28, respectively are prevented from performing any repulsive movement, when the arms 26 of the indicators strike against the pin 30. Thus, the indicators are locked in their zero positions until the setting members again start their returning movement.

As will be clear from the above, by reducing the number of motion transmitting members between the indicators and the setting members, it is also possible to considerably reduce the number of those members which effect the restoring of the indicators to zero positions. In the present case this restoring is effected only by the spring 29 and the pusher 28. Notwithstanding this simplification, there is no risk of the restoring not taking place regularly, since the indicators for their returning motions, which under all circumstances are very rapid, may use all the time required for setting the setting members into the desired positions. The indicators that are to remain in their zero positions are prevented from being taken along, owing to friction between the shafts of the gears 1 -1 at the setting of the other indicators in the following manner. when the projections 41 -41 of the locking bail 46 move out of engagement with the gears I -1 the coupling wheels 39 enter into mesh with said gears. Since the locking wheels 22 now mesh with the setting members ll -ll it is, consequently, impossible to set any of the gears 1 -1 the setting member of which is not directly actuated.

Several embodiments of the invention are, of course, possible within the scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an indicator mechanism for a cash register or the like having an indicator shaft, and a plurality of indicator drums mounted on said shaft for rotation relative to one another, the combination of means for simultaneously zeroizing all said drums, said means comprising a single supporting spoke for each indicator drum, zero stop means arranged for cooperation with said spokes on one side thereof to determine the zero positions of said drums, a restoring pusher bar extending parallel to said shaft through all said drums on the side of said spokes opposite that occupied by said zero stop means and being arranged for movement along a cylindrical path about said shaft, anda single spring urging said restoring pusher bar constantly towards said zero stop means.

2. In an indicator mechanism for a cash register or the like having an indicator shaft, and a plurality of indicator drums mounted on said shaft for rotation relative to one another, the combination of means for simultaneously zeroizing all said drums, said means comprising a single supporting spoke for each indicator drum, zero stop means arranged for cooperation with said spokes on one side thereof to determine the zero positions of said drums, a restoring pusher bar extending parallel to said shaft through all said drums on the side of said spokes opposite that occupied by said zero stop means and being arranged for movement along a cylindrical path about said shaft, and spring means urging said restoring pusher bar constantly towards said zero stop means, an axiallyprojecting stud carried by said restoring pusher bar, a movable spring urged member normally assuming a position in the path of said stud so as to prevent said pusher bar and thereby all of said indicator drums from carrying out a movement away from the zero positions of said drums, said movable member being provided with a cam face arranged for cooperation with said stud during the movement of said pusher bar towards the zero stop means whereby said stud pushes said member out of its path during such movement, and means to move said member out of the path of said stud to permit movement of said drums away fronr their zero positions at a predetermined stage of each operation of the machine.

3. In an indicator mechanism for a cash register or the like having a plurality of setting cator drums mounted on said shaft for rotation relative to one another, spring means urging all said drums constantly into their zero positions,

and a gear for each indicator drum to drive said drum from the return movement of one of said setting members in a direction away from its zero position, the combination of a spring controlled bail to engage all said gears and to arrest all said indicator drums in the positions given thereto by the setting members, and cam arms rigid with said setting members, said cam arms being arranged for direct cooperation with said arresting bail so as to disengage the latter from all said gears as soon as one of said setting members is shifted from its zero position.

KARL MATTS VIGBORG. 

